FW: [Hallicrafters] hallicrafters prices

Fri Apr 29 16:41:26 EDT 2005

Craig, 	

There are many Hallicrafters products that are very well engineered, your
blanket statement indicates you have never used them. Certainaly every company
has a product lineup that covers the lower end of the market to the top,
generally focusing on the middle. Some products are better than others. Nobody
built all great products.	

It has been the lower product of General Motors that has kept them in business,
as the Chevrolet always sold. A few bought the big dollar items, but a lot
bought the Chevrolet.	

All of us are products of our environment, tastes are acquired, not genetic. We
voted Republican or Democratic because that is what our parents or family or
ethnic group, voted when we were growing up. We drive a Chevy because our father
always drove one. We eat hamburgers on Saturday evening because that is what we
did every Saturday evening as we grew up. It is what we have grown comfortable
with and grown accustomed to. More so than what we actually prefer.	

I love the old Zenith radios. Why? A 1940 Zenith floor model was my first SW
radio. I like some Country, Rhythm and Blues and Southern Gospel music, all of
which was mixed into the Rock And Roll I grew up with in the late fifties to
late sixties. Zenith was not the best radio, although it sure did sound good
with that 12 inch thumping away, but it was my first love and because of that,
always has a special place in my heart.	

It is just middle aged people trying to recapture the magic, mystery and
excitement of what we felt safe with, secure with and what we enjoyed then. Back
then most of us were thrilled to have any radio, we were too inexperienced at
life to even begin to know what we liked.   	

Certain radios, cars, homes and so forth do have a degree of snob appeal. It is
true that those 'showboat' personality types do tend to be drawn toward like
objects. But so what? Enjoying it is reason enough to own one, rationality,
engineering or performance play a minor role in what most of us own.	

Duane W8DBF	

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From: Craig Roberts <crgrbrts at verizon.net>
To: Hallicrafters at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: FW: [Hallicrafters] hallicrafters prices
Date: Friday, April 29, 2005 4:17 PM

Mike's "Hallicrafters born, Hallicrafters bred, and when I die I'll be 
Hallicrafters dead?..." comment got me to wondering -- what is the 
nature of the Hallicrafters mystique, anyway?  Is it pure nostalgia?  
(After all, middle-aged memory is the engine that drives eBay and its 
prices).

I've spent many hours of mixed pleasure and frustration restoring 
Hallicrafters gear that replicates what I owned as a kid.  It's far from 
the best engineered and crafted equipment in my shack but, in terms of 
pure affection (if that's not too "twinky" a word), it's my favorite.  
But, that's only because it reminds me of my youth.  Otherwise, I don't 
think I'd own the stuff. I don't recall ever fantasizing about operating 
the "ultimate" Hallicrafters station. I was a Collins dreamer, though I 
also admired Hammarlund HQ-series receivers from afar. Hallicrafters was 
serviceable and -- most importantly -- affordable.

How about you?  Why are you a Hallicrafters devotee?

73,

Craig
W3CRR

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